Hents



J H. GREENSTREET.

BOX MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5. 191]. f

Patented Dec. 23,1919.

3 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

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J. H. GREENSTREET.

BOX MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1911.

Z6 w my 9. um n 2 MW 0 a? a 0% f m w 0 0 n w r 7 w J n w N\ \w w\ w M \w \w & 1 w 1 :2 O a: m ll NW N M Q W Q 4; 5 a 6 MM hil JASON H. GREENSTREET, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNUR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MEETS, T0 WIREBOUNDS CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

nox-Maonmn {specification of Letters Patent.

Patented bet. as, 191a Application filed December 5, 1911. Serial No. $64,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JASON H. GREEN- sTREpr, a citizen of the United States, resid-.

My invention relates to the class of machines employed in making wirebound boxes, blanks or parts, or sides for boxes and crates, by the action of stapling or other fastener-setting mechanism upon assembled box materials progressively subjected to the operation of said mechanism. I

Among other objects the-invention is intended to provide an improved machine of this class having work-controlled means for automatically interrupting the stapling, or fastener-setting operation at given places in or between arts of the work; for instance, at the box ointsor'ends of the cleats and in spaces between consecutive box blank assemblies.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of automatic gage means for initially positioning the work relative to the fastener-setting mechanism, and by which successive blanks may be automatically spaced.

The nature of the invention will be best understood from the following description with'reference to one form of machine embodying the invention which is shown for illustration in the accompanying drawings:

In said drawings:

Figure 1 isa plan view of a wireboun box blank machine containing one embodrment of my invention, this view omitting the usual binding wire applying and stapling mechanism of such machine.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on a smaller scale, showing one unlt of the step-by-step beneath a gang of binding wire applying and stapling mechanisms, of which one unit is shown in Fig. 2, for stitching, so to speak, the sheet material, cleats and binding wires together; the binding wires being led from any suitable source of supply and drawn with the work beneath thestaplers in amanner well understood in the art. Fig. 1 of the drawings shows the box cleats, which are designated by the nu .neral 27, but omits the sheet material intended to be placed thereupon.

Tn this illustrative type of machine the cleats 27 are fed in longitudinal guides across awork table or anvil 12, above which ously at a normal speed exceeding the speed of. the primary feed chains 11. Said primary feed chains are arranged beyond the staplingplane and are driven by any suitable means, for instance by the shaft 16, gears 17, ratchet arm 18 and-pitman 19 on the main shaft 20, and are caused to have an intermittent action alternating with the action of the staplers, in acommon and well known manner; the primary feed chains engaging the cleats, or the material of the box blank, after the same has passed the stapling plane and thereby causing a step-by-step feed of the work beneath the staplers, which latter operate upon the work during its intervals of rest.

While in my said prior patentl disclosed as many as there are binding wires to be stapled to the box blank materials, ma

if desired be any ordinary type of comblned staple formers and drivers, such as are usually employed in Wirebound box blank machines, adapted at every operation to form staples. from staple stock wire and to drive the same into the work. In the drawings I have represented diagrammatically a common type of staple forming and driving mechanism, having provision for interruption of its stapling action by depriving it of staple wire feed or intercepting the supply of a staple to the former and driver. In this form of mechanism, which is of the general' type shown in my said prior Patent No. 985,996, the actuation of the staple former and driver by the vertically reciprocating bar A, sometimes called the upper stitcher bar, also actuates a vertically reciprocatory plunger 14, for operating a feedpawl 14" which engages a ratchet wheel R on one of the staple wire feed rolls S, whereby the reciprocation of said plunger causes intermittent feed of the staple wire, thus at every operation supplying suilicient stock for formation of a staple. Usually, as in this case, the staple wire is fed on the up stroke of the actuating bar, and the staple formed.

thereupon is driven upon the ensuing down stroke.

Said plunger 14, which is carried by a bracket or on the actuating bar A and isyieldingly held in relation thereto a spring surrounding the plunger, 1s provided at its upper end with a head 14, under which a bar 15 carried by swinging arms, 15' may be swung to engage said head and interrupt the downward movement of the plunger as the stapler-actuatlng bar descends. Whenever this occurs there Wlll be no feed of the staple stock wire for forma tion of a staple, and consequently upon the ensuing operation of the stapler no staple can be driven; the mechanism will simply operate idly.

In the commercial forms of wirebound boxes now on the market, the cleats are usually formed with mortised and tenoned or other mating ends. Cleats of this character are shown in the drawings, having the cutaway or tenoned portions G and shoulders 26 to mate with the correspondingly formed ends of the adjacent cleats.

It is desirable to avoid stapling at the end parts Glof the cleats. To avoid stapling at such undesired iplaces or gaps in the work, I provide mechanism automatically controlled by the progression of the work relative to the staplers for interrupting the stapling operation, as for instance by depriving the staplers of staples or staple stock wire b the means previously described, at suc times that no staple will be driven when the places referred to are brought to the stapling plane.

The illustrative mechanism for this purpose comprises, alongside each cleat guide, a reciprocating bar 21 which is normally retracted to the position shown in Fig. 1 by a spring 22. Pivoted at 23 upon bar 21 plunger 14.

means is a spring pressed pawl 24 provided with a finger 25 which normally rides against themoving cleat and drops down into each space G in front of each shoulder 26. As the cleat is dilven forwardl through the cleat. guide by the preliminary feeding mechanism, pawl 24 will be drawn forwardly with the cleat, as soon as it drops in front of any shoulder 26, and will continue in this forward movement until its end is brought into engagement with a pin 32 which serves to withdraw the pawl from in front of the cleat shoulder 26. As the pawl 24 moves forwardly, drawing bar 21 with it, it operates, through a rod 28 and spring 29, upon the lower end of a lever 31, the upper end of which operates upon swinging bar 15 to throw it beneath head 14 of plunger 14 in the manner already described, so as to prevent stapling action of the stapling mechanism for the short period of time that the space G of each cleat is passing through the stapling plane. The length of time during which the bar 15 is held in its interrupting position may be determined by the compressive length of spring 29. said spring being sufiicient to promptly throw lever 31 and, by compression, permitting further movement of bar 21.

In further explanation: As .he work advances from the position shown in Fig. 1, thepawl 24 moving along with the cleats will operate through the rod 28 and spring 29 to swing the lever 31 to throw the bar 15 under the head 14 of the staple-wire feed Consequently on the next downward or staple-driving stroke of the stapler, to drive a staple into the cleat ahead of the pawl 24, the plunger 14 will be held, so that there will be no feeding of the staple wire on the return or up stroke of stapler. Further advance of the work brings the pawl 24 into engagement with the throwout pin 32, allowing release of the interrupting means, and the cleat gap which was engaged by the pawl is brought to the stapling plane. The ensuing down stroke of the stapler will not drive a staple at this place, since there has been an interruption of the staple wire feed just preceding this stroke.

Thus the stapling is interrupted at the requisite places by means the actuation of which is controlled by successively presented parts corresponding tosuch places and moving with the. work, the parts referred to in this instance being the cleat shoulders 26; the pawl 24 serving as a detector means to find said parts and to be actuated thereby.

In order to provide a gage stop which will be automatically brought into proper cleatstopping position at the beginning of the formation of each box blank and thereby to space between blanks, I arrange adjacent each cleat guide, a gage finger 41 which normally rides against one side of the mar ing cleats. The two fingers t1 are earned by arms d2 secured to a rock shaft t3, each arm 42 being preferably independently angularly adjustable relative to shaft 4? by suitabl means, such as temper screws 430, so that the endsof the two fingers 4L1 may be brought .intofexact alinement with each other and. in parallelism with the stapling plane so as to insure accurate initial positionlng of the box blank-material. fllhe arms 42 are normally urged to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2' by a suitable counterweight t2, this weight serving to-bring the camsha ed portions 4L1 of the fingers 41-]. into such engagement with pins 32 as to drive the fingers l1 laterally into the cleat guides whenever a space G comes opposite the finers and thus causing the projection of each nger in front of each cleat shoulder 2b. When this action takes place, the gers ll-1 will be simultaneously driven alon the cleat guides by the moving cleats an, in the absence of any obstruction, will continue such movement until the cam surfaces d1" of the fingers 41 come into en agement with pins tell, which will cause the ners all to be withdrawn from the cleat guies and returned to normal position by the counterweight d2'. Un each return movement of fingers 4t]. to the position shown in Fig. l, a finger 45, carried by one of the fingers d1, comes into engagement with a ratchet wheel t6 and advances the same one step. Where the machine is forming box blanks from which to formfour-sided boxes, the wheel it will be provided with teeth in multiples of four and will be provided with as many pins or shoulders 47 as there are groups of teeth so that, when the final cleats of a blank have engaged fingers ti and carried the same along the cleat guides and the said fingers have returned to their normal position, the consequent movement of wheel 46 will bring one of the pins d? into engage ment with a finger 4L8 carried b a locking bar 4L9 pivoted to swingso that its shoulder 51 may b projected thereby into the path of movement of one of the arms 42. When the projection of shoulder 51 has been accomplished and fingers 4n projected in front of the oncoming initial cleats for a new blank, the fingers 4L1 will be moved partially along the cleat guides but will be stopped by shoulder. 51 at such point that the initial cleats of the new blank will be in proper position to receive their first staples.

Fingers ll, when brought to a stop by shoulder 51, form an accurate and rigid gage for the proper placing of the front end of the blank material beneath the stapling mechanism in position to. receive the first staple. Before the operator places the sheet material for the new blank, he generally permits the entire machine to come to a stop and, after placin the sheet material, a lever 49 to withdraw shoulder 51 from to path of movement of adjacent arm 42, and then starts the machine into operation, as already described.

As represented in Fig. 1, the fingers ll are shown engaging midway of a series'of cleats for a blank, there being two cleats ahead and two behind each of said fingers, and it will be noted that the pins 47 of wheel 46 are in such position that two more steps of wheel 46 will be required before finger 48 is engaged in such a wa as to throw stop 51 into active position. once, as the parts advance from the position shown, the fingers 41 will be carried along without ob struction until thrown out by engagement of the cams all with pins 4st; thereupon the fingers ll return and the finger 45 turns the ratchet wheel 46 one step. This operation is repeated another time, at which repetition one of the pins M will engage finger 48 so as to shift stop 51 to position to obstruct the arm 42 to gage the position of the next blank. At this time the pawl 24L may or may not be in engagement with a, cleat shoulder 26, depending upon the lengths of the cleats.

'lhe term stapling-means is used herein to broadly designate any mechanism for con- 95 necting the elements of the box-blank together.

- ll claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending pan through the stapling plane, feedin means for driving cleats through said gui es, said feeding means comprising a primary feeder and a preliminary feeder, a member arranged adjacent a cleat guide to be engaged ma intermittently by a cleat, and be thereby driven from its normal position, and means controlled by said member-in its abnormal position for interrupting the actionof the stapling means.

2. In amachine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending through the stapling plane, feeding means for driving cleats through said guides, a member arranged adjacent a cleat guide to 115 be engaged intermittently by a cleat and be thereby driven from its normal position, and

means controlled by said member in its abnormal position for interrupting the action of the staplin means.

3. lln a macine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guidesextending through the stapling plane, a member arranged adjacent a cleat guide to be engaged mtermittently by a cleat and be thereby a driven from its normal position, and means controlled by said member in its abnormal position for interrupting the action of the stapling means.

i. lln a machine for making bon-blanks, 13d

stapling means, cleat guides extending through the stapling plane, feeding means for driving cleats through said guides said feeding means comprising a primary feeder and a preliminary feeder, a member arranged adjac'ent a cleat guide to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and be thereby driven'from its normal position, means for intermittently interrupting the action of the stapling means, and a sprmg connection between said cleat-engaged member and the interruptin means whereby the cleat-engaged mem er will operate the interrupting means and hold. it inoperated position during further movement of the cleat-engaged member.

5. In a machine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending through the stapling plane, feeding means for driving cleats through said guides, a member arranged adjacent a cleat guide to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and be thereby driven from its normal position, means for intermittently interrupting the action of the stapling means, and a spring connection between said cleat-engaged member and the interrupting means whereby the cleat-engaged member will operate the interrupting means and hold it in operated position during further movement of the cleat-engaged member.

6. In a machine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending through the stapling plane, a member arranged adjacent a cleat guide to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and be thereby driven from its normal position, means for intermittently interrupting the action of the stapling means, and a sprmg connection between said cleat-engaged member and the interruptin means whereby the cleat-engaged mem er will operate the interrupting means and hold it in operated position during further movement of the cleat-engaged member.

7. In a machine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending through the stapling plane, feeding means for driving cleats through said guides said feeding means comprising a primary feeder and a preliminary feeder, a member arranged adjacent a cleat guide to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and be thereby driven from its normal position, means controlled by said member in its abnormal position for interrupting the action of the stapling means, gage fingers adapted to arrest the initial cleats of a blank, and means controlled by the passage of the cleats for holding said gage fingers in gaging position.

8. In a machine'for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending through the stapling plane, feeding means for driving cleats through said guides said feeding means comprising a prlmary feeder and a preliminary feeder, a member arranged adjacent a cleat guide to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and be thereby driven from its normal position, means for intermittently interrupting the action of the stapling means, a spring connection between said cleat-engaged member and the interrupting means whereby the cleat-engaged member will operate the interrupting member and hold it in operated position during further movement of the cleat-engaged member, gage fingers adapted to arrest the initial cleats of a blank, and means controlled by the passage of the cleats for holding said gage fingers in gaging position.

9. In a machine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending through the stapling plane, feeding means for driving cleats through said guides said feeding means comprising a primary feeder and a preliminary feeder, a member arrangedadjacent a cleat guide to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and be thereby driven from its normal position, means controlled by said member in its abnormal position for interrupting the action of the stapling means, age fingers arranged adjacent the cleat gui es and one of said fingers being movable alon the adjacent cleat guide by each passing 0 eat, means for projecting said fingers intermittently into the cleat guides, and means operated by the move ment of the gage finger longitudinally of its cleat guide for intermittently holding the gage fingers to prevent movement of cleats along their guides.-

10. In a machine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending throughthe stapling plane, feeding means for driving cleats through said guides said feeding means comprising a primary feeder and a preliminary feeder, a member arranged adjacent a cleat guide to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and be thereby driven from its normal position, means for intermittently interrupting the action of the stapling means, a spring connection between said cleat-engaged member and the interrupting means whereby the cleat-engaged member will operate the interrupting member and hold it in operated position during further movement of the cleat-engaged member, gage fingers arranged adjacent the cleat guides and one of said fingers being movable along the adjacent cleat guide by. each passing cleat, means for projecting said fingers intermittently into the cleat guides, and means operated by the movement of the gage finger longitudinally of its cleat guide for intermittently holding the gage fingers to prevent movement of cleats along their guides.

11. In a machine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending through the stapling plane, feeding means til lit'i mantra intermittently by a cleat and be thereby.

driven from its normal position, means controlled by said member in its abnormal position for interrupting the action of the stapling means, gage fingers arranged adj acent the cleat guides and each projectable into and drivable along the cleat guides by the cleats, means for projecting said fingers in front of each passing cleat, a stop for arresting movement of the gage fingers along the cleat guides, and means controlled by movement of a gage finger along its cleat guide for intermittently driving said stop into stopping position.

12. lln a machine for making box-blanks, stapling means, cleat guides extending through the stapling plane, feeding means for driving cleats through said guides said feeding means comprising a primary feeder and a preliminary feeder, a member arranged adjacent a cleat guide to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and be thereby driven from its normal position, means for intermittently interrupting the action of the stapling means, a spring connection between said cleat-engaged member and the interrupting means whereby the cleat-engaged member will operate the interrupting member and hold it in operated position during further movement of the cleat-engaged member, gage fingers arranged adjacent the cleat guides and each proj ectable into and drivable along the cleat guides by the cleats, means for projecting said fingers in front of each passing cleat, astop for arresting movement of the gage fingers along the cleat guides, and means controlled by movement of a gage finger along its cleat guide for intermittently driving said stop into stopping positlon,

l3. A box blank machine comprising a j stapling mechanism having a wire feed, and means for automatically rendering said wire feed inoperative, to prevent the driving of staples without stopping the operation of the stapling mechanism, including an element which engages the cleats and is operated thereby to govern the operation of said means.

it. A box blank machine comprising instentalities for feeding materials and insertin fastening devices therein, and means or automatically interrupting the driving of the fastening devices, without stoppin the machine, including an element which irectly engages the materials and operates to govern'the operation of said means, said. element being operated a plurality of times for each blank.

15. A machine for stapling suitably prepared materials together to form blanks for 7 ing element bearing on the moving work.

the sides of boxes or crates, comprising endless traveling means for feeding the blank materials, a stapler, a staple wire feed mechanism for said stapler, and means governed by the traveling motion of the feeding means for automatically tripping out the said mechanism between blanks, without interrupting the reciprocation of said stapler, said means including a controller therefor arranged to be engaged by the materials.

16. A machine for stapling suitably prepared materials together to form blanks for the sides of boxes or crates, comprising endless traveling means for feeding the blank materials, a stapler, a staple wire feed mechanism for said stapler, and means governed by the traveling motion of the feeding means for automatically tripping out the said mechanism between blanks, without interrupting the reciprocation of said stapler, said means comprising a device that bears on the moving work, and means whereby the said device moves inward between blanks.

17. A machine for stapling suitably prepared materials together to form blanks for the sides of boxes or crates, comprising endless traveling means for feeding the blank materials, a stapler, a staple wire feed mechanism for said stapler, and means governed by the traveling motion of the feeding means for automatically tripping out the said mechanism between blanks, without interrupting the reciprocation of said stapler, said means comprising a member pivoted to drag on the-work, a movable member to trip out the wire feed mechanism, and a link connecting said movable member with the said member dragging on the work.

18. A machine for stapling suitably prepared materials together to form blanks for the sides of boxes or crates, comprising endless traveling means for feeding the blank materials, a stapler, a staple wire feed mechanism for said stapler; and means governed by the traveling motion of the feeding means for automatically tripping out the said mechanism between blanks, without interrupting the reciprocation of said stapler, said means comprising a floattil too

'lOli lit 19. A box blank machine comprising instrumentalities for feeding materials and 1nserting fastening devices therein, and means for automatically spacing between blanks,

including an element requiring as many acltd tuations thereof as there are successive sections in the blank in order to cause the spacing operation of said means.

20. A machine for construction bonblanks from a lurality of units comprising let a stapler provided with a device for feeding the staple wire thereto, means to feed the blank materials forward, an element arranged to bear directly against the passing meals, d means operated by said eleltu ment to interrupt theoperation of said device upon the passage of the completed blank.

21. A machine for constructing boxblanks from a plurality of units comprising a device for operatin on wire, means to feed the blank materials forward, an element arranged to bear directly against the passing materials, and means operated by said element to interrupt the operation of said device upon the passage of the completed blank.

22. A machine for constructing boxblanks from a plurality of units comprising a stapler provided. with a device for feeding the staple wire thereto, means to feed the blank materials forward, an element arranged to bear directly against the passin materials, and means operated by said e ement to interrupt the operation of said device upon the passage of the completed blank, said element being movable into and out of the path of the moving materials. I

23. A machine for constructing boxblanks from a plurality of units comprising a device for operating on wire, means to feed the blank materials forward, an element arranged to bear directly against the passing materials, and means operated by said element to interrupt the operation of said device 'upon the passage of the completed blank, said element being movable into and out of the path of the moving materials.

24. A machine blanks from a pluralit ing a stapler provided with a device for feedin the staple wire thereto, means to feed t e blank materials forward, an element arranged to bear directly against the passing materials, and means operated by said element to interrupt the operation of said device upon the passage of the completed blank, said element operating a plurality of times for each blank.

25. A machine for constructing boxblanks from a plurality of unitscomprisof units comprising a device for operating on wire, means to feed the blank materials forward, an element arranged to bear directly against the passing materials, and means operated by said element to interrupt the operation of said device upon the passage of the completed blank, said element operating a plurality of times for each blank.

26. A machine for constructing boxblanks from a lurality of units comprising a stapler provi ed with a device for feeding the staple wire thereto, means to feed the blank materials forward, an element arranged to bear directly against the passing materials, and means operated by said element to interrupt the operation of said device, upon the passage of the completed for constructing box-- blank, said element being arranged to operatein the horizontal plane of the blank and at one side thereof.

27. A box blank machine comprising, 1n combination, fastener-setting mechanlsm; means for feeding cleats in succession past said mechanism; a member arranged in proximity to the ath of movement of the cleats adapted to e engaged intermittently by a cleat and to be displaced thereby from a normal position; and fastener-settmg mterrupting means controlled by said member in its abnormal position.

28. A box blank machine comprising, in combination, fastener-setting mechanism; means for feeding cleats in succession ast said mechanism; a member arrange in proximity to the path of movement of the cleats adapted to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and to be displaced thereby from a normal position; fastener-setting interrupting means; and a spring connection between said member and interrupting means whereby the latter is operated and held in operative position by the cleatimpelled movement ofsaid member.

29. A box blank machine comprising, in combination, fastener-setting mechanism; means for feeding cleats in succession past said mechanism; a member arranged in proximity to the path of movement of the cleats adapted to be engaged intermittently by a cleat and to be displaced thereby from a normal position; and fastener-setting interrupting means controlled by said member 100 in its abnormal position; gage means to arrest the initial cleats of a blank; and means controlled by the passage of the cleats for holding said gage means in gagingposition.

30. A machine for use in making wirebound and cleat-reinforced boxes comprising, in combination, means for supportin assembled box materials including s ace parts during progressive fastening of inding wire to the materials; fastener-setting 110 mechanism to fasten the binding Wire to the materials; means to cause relative progression between the assembled materials and fastener-setting mechanism; and progression-controlled fastener-setting interrupting 115 means, including a controller therefor arranged to be engaged by the materials, and to prevent the driving of fasteners at the spaces between said parts.

31. A machine for use in making wire- 120 bound and cleat-reinforced boxes comprising, in combination, means for supporting assembled box materials including spaced parts, during progressive fastening of binding wire to the materials; fastener-setting 125 mechanism to fasten the binding wire to the materials; means to cause relative rogression between the assembled materlals and fastener-setting mechanism; and progression-controlled fastener-setting interrupt- 180 weenie ing means, and actuating-means therefor including a member adapted to bear on and be operated by the space-defining parts of the materials.

- 32. A box blank machine comprising, in-

eombination, means for supportmg assembled box materials including cleats during progressive fastening of binding wire to the materials; fastener-setting mechanism to fasten the binding Wire to the. materials;

means to cause relative progression between the assembled materials and fastener-setting mechanism; fastener setting interrupting means; and means for actuating said intersand nine hundred and eleven.

JASON 11. GREENSTREET. [1,. 8-]

Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. H001), MAY LAYDEN. 

